Good news,
bubble lovers; this is your year. Champagne imports are down: shipments
of

Champagne to the United States

plummeted 41.2
percent from January to August, according to the Champagne Bureau. Why should
you care? Because it means prices are dropping. High-end Champagne
isn't cheap, mind you, but when the price of Cristal drops below $200 you know something is amiss.

If you stay away from the better-known brands like Veuve Clicquot
there are plenty of bargains: Gosset and Delamotte (two of my favorite Champagne producers that don't have the marketing budgets of the bigger houses) can be found
for between $30 and $35 – a steal. And this is the time of year to buy bubbly
anyway; bubbly producers always drop their prices when there's this much
competition.

Sparkling wine is another great option; the term refers to any bubbly made outside the Champagne region of France. Cava from Spain, Prosecco from Italy, Sekt from Germany – they're all bubbly at a bargain price. And don't forget the excellent sparklers from California (including Schramsberg, J, Domaine Chandon, Iron Horse, and Scharffenberger).

Final tip: A fun way to liven up that New Year's party is by serving individual bottles (187mL) or even cans of bubbly: POP by Pommery (a Champagne producer) offers Champagne in small blue bottles, while Sofia Mini Blanc de Blancs (from California) comes in little pink cans; straws optional. Happy New Year!